#the perfect tree with a nice distance to the shore and close to the jungle

[fluffypotatey]

They meet and 3 days later macaque is moving in to ffm

“an island with no humans and only the noise of nature? and monkeys who adore me? yeah sign me up! no, this has nothing to do with Wukong the Monkey King what are you talking about?”

— Six Eared Macquarie to MK the day after moving in

[fandomlit]

neutral, chap. 2 (dream smp x reader)

series summary (in game!au) when an exiled tommy finally rebels against a manipulative dream, he finds safety in neutral territory, a place owned and guarded by you. staying in your safe haven opens up the younger one’s eyes to your way of life, while also revealing your deeper past before neutral; a past that involved a war for your love.

chapter summary tommy learns a little bit more about your relationship with dream before spending his day with ghostbur, exploring neutral territory and learning of the war that sparked its creation.

warning mentions of war, violence, and injuries

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gif cred belongs to @chillcrafting

“you have a package, y/n!” ghostbur called out just as you placed tommy’s breakfast in front of him. the ghoul’s words went completely ignored by tommy, whose gaze was solely focused on the beautiful stack of pancakes placed in front of him.

y/n smiled to herself. “you can bring it in, bur. i know who it’s from.” she shuffled syrup and butter over to tommy just as ghostbur came in with the fateful package.

tommy was already half way through scarfing down the stack of pancakes when y/n managed to open the package, ghostbur gazing over her shoulder. she took out a note set atop of the contents.

she read aloud, “y/n, i’m sorry i haven’t properly stopped by in a while. my work requires much of my undivided attention right now, which i’m sure you understand. please work your magic for me with the clothes included, and i will be sure to drop by for them and a meal soon. there are a few extra gifts included for you. i hope tommy isn’t burdening you. signed dream.”

“i’m not a burden!” tommy spoke offendedly through a mouthful of pancakes.

“you’re right, tommy,” y/n hummed, handing him a napkin to wipe some syrup off of his chin. “you’re perfect company.” tommy smiled to himself as he finished off his stack of pancakes. y/n sighed to herself, “clay really knows how to ruin a good piece of clothing..”

“so you and dream are close, y/n?” tommy grumbled, picking up his glass of milk.

she shrugged. “as close as you can be with someone you barely see.” she placed his battered clothes to the side, sighing again when she saw the rest of the contents of the box. tommy didn’t realize this, continuing with his questions.

“i remember that he respected your territory when he stepped into it,” he recalled. “he was going to kill me, but then he realized he was in neutral.”

y/n nodded. “when i made claimed this territory as neutral, i made a deal with everyone: i would mend and tailor anything you needed as long as you respected my territory as neutral.” she held up a box of diamonds and a smaller box of netherite to tommy’s view, making his mouth drop open with surprise. y/n held out another napkin to him for the milk that had sputtered out of his open mouth while ghostbur laughed into his hand. “clay is the only one who still tries to pay me.”

“with netherite?!” tommy exclaimed, letting out a surprised laugh.

y/n shrugged, seemingly not phased by the generous gift. “the nether..” she shook her head, placing the valuable materials onto the table, “is not a place i like to go. and most of this will probably be going toward dream’s armor, anyway.” she sighed, placing the gifts back into the box and laying the tattered shirts on top of them. “trust me, he’s still too kind for his own good with these sorts of materials.”

“how much netherite does that man have?” ghostbur scoffed, looking at how much was contained in the box.

“probably quadruple that amount,” y/n chuckled. “he has far too much free time.”

“and he doesn’t even spend it with you,” ghostbur sighed, shaking his head with a goofy smile.

“i know!” y/n spoke sarcastically before laughing out. she closed the box and set it under the table. “i’ll deal with that later. do you want any more pancakes, tommy?”

“no, i’m stuffed,” the teen yawned. “but thank you.”

she nodded. “well, then how about ghostbur shows you around the territory today?”

the boys perked up immediately. “really?”

“yeah,” she laughed, taking tommy’s empty plate. “you two can take the day to explore and have fun. go be a kid, kid.”

tommy excitedly looked up to his ghost friend. “fancy a game of ultimate tag?”

“you’re gonna get crushed,” ghostbur laughed before they both ran out of the house, laughing. y/n smiled.

“oh! i should make them lunch..”

...

“how big is this place?” tommy laughed after a few rounds of tag. they had found their way to a pond in a forested area, tommy deciding his knee needed a break after all of their running. 

“it’s bigger than you think,” ghostbur assured, making sure to keep an appropriate distance from the water as they sat along the small shore. “y/n claimed the territory before l’manberg, so there really wasn’t any need for a turf war of any sorts for what she settled.”

“how long has she lived here?” tommy questioned.

ghostbur shrugged. “almost two years, i think. she’s made quite the life for herself since.” more to himself, he muttered, “god, has it really been that long since it happened?”

“since what happened?” tommy asked, leaning closer to his friend with sparkling, curious eyes.

ghostbur sighed, “i’ll admit, i don’t remember too much.. but i know there was a fight. one of the first wars of our time, and it was all over y/n.”

“they were fighting for her?” tommy spoke with confusion. “she’s not an object.”

“very good, tommy,” ghostbur prided, patting his friend on the shoulder. “you’re right, she’s not. that’s why y/n left her original home and sought to create neutral territory; to end the fighting and create a place where peace could reign. in exchange, she’d offer her goods and services.”

“so they were fighting over her for her skills,” tommy understood. ghostbur made a face. “..or not?”

“both sides obviously wanted her skills, but i think y/n tends to neglect the fact that they were all madly in love with her,” ghostbur sighed, shaking his head.

tommy raised his eyebrows. “a crime of passion, eh?” he joked, making them both laugh out before he asked, “who was it?”

“let me think,” ghostbur sighed, tapping his chin. “i know one was dream, but the other.. i think it was-”

“boys! lunch is ready when you are!”

tommy turned back to ghostbur. “well? who?”

ghostbur shook his head. “sorry, tommy, i don’t remember that far. that’s as much as i can tell you.”

tommy couldn’t help but fel disappointed, but he knew he couldn’t blame his friend. “that’s alright, ghostbur. let’s go get lunch before y/n comes looking for us.”

...

after lunch and an insistent rematch of tag, ghostbur and tommy made their way to the organized garden area.

“y/n grows anything you can imagine,” ghostbur bragged as tommy marveled as the fluorescent, beautifully natural area. “she’s been to nearly every biome to complete her garden.”

“you can grow cocoa?!” tommy exclaimed when he finally spotted y/n, who was swinging an axe at a low jungle tree.

“y/n found a way,” ghostbur shrugged, guiding tommy over to her. “hey, y/n!”

“hi, boys,” she smiled, plucking off the plant she had loosened from the tree. “was lunch good? im sorry i didn’t stay and chat.”

“it was delicious,” ghostbur complimented, tommy nodding in agreement as his mind drifted back to the mouth watering coleslaw and toasted sandwiches she had prepared.

“that’s good!” she smiled, placing the cocoa plant on the ground. “you boys may want to step back.” they did as told as y/n swung her axe over her head, splitting the cocoa clean in half and revealing the delicious beans inside of it. “voila!”

ghostbur clapped politely. “thank you,” y/n laughed, dropping her axe and picking up the split plant. “would you boys like a sample?”

“sure,” tommy shrugged, stepping forward with ghostbur. he picked out a few beans before popping them into his mouth. breaking through the semi-tough shell, the delicious, dark taste flooded his taste buds and made him nearly moan, as y/n’s food often did. he and ghostbur shared a look of satisfaction before he voiced, “oh, y/n.. they’re perfect.”

“that’s good,” she laughed before nudging her bucket closer to her and scooping the seeds out into it. “how has your day around the territory been?”

“entertaining,” tommy spoke before asking, “how did you get into gardening, y/n?”

y/n gave ghostbur a knowing smile before she answered the younger boy’s question, “i was tired of eating only meat and bread. gardening was a way to expand my diet to more than just carbs and proteins. also, it’s very calming.” they followed when she hiked up her bucket and moved to the next jungle tree.

“is it?” tommy questioned.

she affirmed with a nod. “it’s nice to be able to spend a day tending to things you made. the fruits of your own harvest are the sweetest, they say.” they watched as she knocked down another cocoa plant.

“they are,” tommy nodded solemnly, his mind drifting to a sadder, more familiar place. “that’s why i miss l’manberg.”

y/n was barely surprised by the boy’s open confession. she tossed her axe down again, going to place a hand on tommy’s shoulder. “i know you do, tommy, and i know it’s rough right now. but what we’re playing here is a waiting game; we’re waiting for a safe opportunity to get you home, and in the meantime, i’ll take care of you, kid.”

tommy offered you another nod and a smile. “we?”

y/n gave him a kind grin. “im going to help you as best as i can from where i am. and i know that’s not much from me, but i know that everyone deserves a home that they love. and you can’t get there alone, kid.”

“you’re right about that,” tommy sighed before looking into her kind eyes. “thank you, y/n. your help means a lot.”

she squeezed his shoulder. “of course, tommy. you and ghostbur go explore some more; try to keep your mind on the things you can control.” she picked her axe back up.

tommy looked to the pitying ghoul beside him before looking back to y/n, a new thought fresh in his mind. “can you teach me how to cook?”

y/n grinned as she lifted her axe over her head again. “of course i can, tommy.”

tommy smiled as she cracked open the plant. he looked back to ghostbur. “wanna go for a swim?” the ghost shot him a fearful look. “im kidding! im kidding, let’s go use some pigs for target practice.” they both began to walk off, chatting and giggling before tommy turned and called, “y/n!” she looked up attentively. “what’s for dinner?”

she smiled. “i was thinking ribs!”

tommy’s mouth watered at the thought. “oh my god, i can’t wait to learn how to cook..”

tag list!! @vanhakirja @victory-is-here @inkyynki @airiour @sylum @kiritokunuwu @221bee-slytherin @bllatrixcarpnter @soullesstaco @stxrryb1tch​ comment below or message me if you would like to be added <3

[votederpycausemufins]

Alright, another chapter for my fic with Jrum. Just so you know, we’ve got a hels hermit and uh... his personality is Horny(TM). nothing to get it out of a teen rating, but there is some non consensual touching at one point so i’m giving a warning.

Rustic House Club

Jrum was set down on a counter before NPG left again, saving there was something to grab. The younger bot waited there for a little bit before getting bored and jumping down from the counter to explore the place. Jrum was pretty sure this was NPG’s base. It seemed to be a giant rustic house or mansion or something. The wood and stone were unfamiliar, but that being said, the world outside was also strange, covered with mint green grass and dirt that was a grayish blue. The sky looked mostly normal, though it was littered with multicolored clouds. 

Back inside, in the center of the room was a giant campfire surrounded by some reddish brown stone. There was also an enchanting table setup with bookshelves around it, but some of the shelves were made with a dull colored wood, and some were made with the stone like what made up the walls.

A sound just behind Jrum made him jump and whirl around, only to see what looked like a very fluffy bunny hopping around. It was a nice powder blue color, and whenever it jumped, what looked like a small puff of smoke was left behind before fading. 

“H-Hi. You’re n-not a bad bunny, a-are you?” Jrum nervously asked the hopping creature. “B-Because my dad d-doesn’t like bad b-bunnies.” The bunny responded by hopping and landing on top of Jrum’s head and flopping down there to rest. “H-Hey! That tickles!”

Jrum carefully grabbed the animal to put it back on the ground. He smiled as he felt that it was indeed extremely fluff as well as feeling rather soft. Once the bunny was back on the ground, it went hopping about the room again, letting Jrum explore the house more. There were a number of shulker boxes strewn about which seemed to be filled with items, but for the most part the items weren’t ones that Jrum recognized. Like what was a moa? Or an ambrosium shard?

Jrum shook his head as he stopped looking in the boxes before turning his head to some armor stands nearby. One had an elytra resting on it, while the other didn’t have an elytra or chestplate. Other than that, the first stand had some sort of purple armor while the other was a pinkish color.

The last thing Jrum really noticed was a ladder going up to the next floor, but he didn’t get the chance to go upstairs before NPG returned, carrying what sort of resembled his charger. “I’m back!”

Jrum scrambled his way back to the counter and sat on it, hoping NPG hadn’t seen he wasn’t there. “Sorry for the wait. This thing is just hard to carry and Sense wouldn’t come here to build it because he thinks it’s crazy to live in a dangerous place like the aether.”

The bunny from before hopped over and onto NPG’s head. “Oh! Hi Rusty! Did you meet our guest? He’s my brother.”

“Your bunny’s name is Rusty?”

“Yup!” NPG set the charger down near where Jrum was sitting. “Hmm, I’m sure you’ll want somewhere to sleep, so I’ll have to make you a bed later. Because trying to get that thing up a ladder would be no fun.”

Jrum looked at the pinkish armor that NPG was wearing. “What’s that?”

“Hmm?” NPG looked where Jrum was pointing. “Oh! This is some aetherite armor. It’s like netherite, but for here!”

Jrum nodded, then just sat quietly, swinging his legs. NPG was also quiet, just sort of smiling and swinging his arms about before there was a buzz. The older robot reached for his pocket and pulled out what looked like a communicator, though it was a different style, and read a message on it.

“Oh good! Prof says we can meet with him!”

Jrum tilted his head. “Who’s that?”

“That’s right! I haven’t explained things yet!” NPG exclaimed before putting his comm away again. “Okay, so we’re in Helscraft! It’s like where you’re from, but opposite. Our overworld is more like the nether, but not entirely. More like… hmm… if instead of dirt, mycelium and nylium were normal, and then instead of normal trees we get those giant mushroom things that still can be used for wood. The aether is like an opposite nether in that it’s cold here and there’s no bedrock at either edge of the world. And then finally the end in our world is probably the closest to being normal, but there’s no ender dragon. Instead there’s this thing called the warden and it’s really dangerous.”

“Oh… but who’s Proff?”

“Oh right! So here instead of hermits there are helsmits! And just about everyone in Hermitcraft has a sort of… not really opposite, but at the very least alternative version of themselves down here! Prof is one of them. He’s our version of Doc.”

“Who was the person that looked like daddy?” Jrum asked. He knew NPG had said something, but he hadn’t fully been paying attention.

“Oh! That was Perfect Sense. Most people just call him Sense.”

“Who else is there?”

NPG’s eyes lit up, happy to explain for his brother. “Okay, so there’s Xannes who’s our admin. Most people don’t use his name though, which is rude. Instead they say stuff like Evil Xisuma, Evil X or just EX. There’s True Symmetry who’s the current emperor, or I guess empress, of the server. Her running mate was Waltzware, who everyone calls Whiskey. Fun story about that, I can tell you it another time. Uh, he’s in a rivalry with DelayVS and Phedaz. There’s BadtimeswithScar, or just Badtimes. He has a place on the overworld with a big magic crystal in it which is where I go to hang out with you. It’s a little hard to get to sometimes with Peanut guarding the place. Helsknight has been around the longest and-”

“Um, so are you the opposite of my dad?” Jrum asked, cutting his brother off.

“Nope! Not really! That’s Grifter. See, I showed up sort of near the end of season three and he appeared when we moved to season four. I’m pretty sure he was a Listener or something, but anyway he didn’t like me since he thought I was taking his place. When Prof made Base Iridium, it was so he could lock up Grifter because he was like... the worst person. And so he’s been stuck there ever since and I get to stay because they all like me better!”

Jrum nodded. “Okay, and then do Grum and I have copies here?”

NPG stopped smiling at the question. “Well… no. Glodhet made Sense run for emperor, but Since Glodhet was LaxSprite’s running mate, Sense didn’t have anyone as his running mate. I tried, but he said no. Because of that, we never built any versions of you.”

Jrum looked down at the floor sadly. Sure NPG was a great friend, but he and his brother were really the only kids on the server, so it was pretty lonely a lot of the time.

“Um, well, do you want to go and see Prof?”

Jrum nodded and NPG picked him up before going to the portal he had outside. Jrum shivered when they walked outside, the air extremely cold. That definitely was opposite to the nether. It also didn’t help that it seemed to be night out, which made it even colder. “Isn’t the neth- uh, aether faster?”

“Yeah, but with its day and night cycles, it’s really dangerous at night and you don’t really have any gear I don’t think. Besides, Prof isn’t that far away from the other side of my portal.”

“O-Okay.”

Grian and Mumbo spawned in Helscraft right next to each other. They spawned on a small island that was half made of mycelium, half on fire. Grian was a little worried about the fact that Xisuma didn’t seem to be with them, but that was probably fine? Maybe he had been there before and when spawning in, he appeared there instead.

There seemed to be some sort of water around the island, but it didn’t quite look right as it was a bright red color. Grian carefully plucked a wing and dipped it into the water. It didn’t get burnt or damaged or anything, so that was a good sign.

Mumbo looked in a chest on the island and found it filled with boats. The wood seemed to be slightly pink, like a slightly more colorful jungle boat. He placed it into the water and got in, Grian climbing in behind him. “Well, while everything looks different in color, that island seems to be like the spawn island back home, and that out there looks like the shopping district.”

Grian looked into the distance. “Yeah, though it doesn’t look quite as populated as the one on Hermitcraft. I-Is that a giant blackstone castle?”

Mumbo squinted his eyes, looking back towards the larger island. It was a little hard to tell because it was against a black sky with few stars in sight, but Mumbo could make out what seemed to be the outline of a castle. “I’m guessing they have the same sort of starting seed, but they build whatever they want and it doesn’t match what we do.”

Grian agreed, and then Mumbo paddled them to the island. When they reached the shore, Mumbo got out first and then held a hand out to help Grian. 

“Since I can fly, I’ll look at this place from above. You check on foot. Does that sound good?” Grian asked, getting a nod from Mumbo. “Great, let’s go.”

True groaned as the sunlight was blocked for a moment. Even with her sunglasses on and her eyes closed, she could tell when the light didn’t reach her closed eyes for a moment. Her best guess was someone decided to try and annoy her again by building something to fly in just the right place to annoy her, something that had happened more than once before. She moved her glasses to her forehead and set down the glass of wine she had been sipping from before walking to the edge of her sunbathing balcony and looking below to see who exactly was messing with her.

She groaned when she was Sense walking in the paths below. Of course it would be the resident evil genius causing trouble. And then as the light was blocked again, she turned her gaze skyward to see what exactly he had made this time. True expected some sort of redstone machine to be moving around up there, Sense trying to control it from below and put it in the right place. What she didn’t expect was for the thing in the air to be a person, specifically one with wings, not elytra, on their back.

Immediately True was rushing back into the castle. This was not happening. “WHISKEY!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. “STOP WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU’RE DOING AND CALL PROF! SENSE FINALLY FUCKING DID IT!” She heard some sort of response but didn’t really pay attention as she grabbed the armor and weapons she left inside. As soon as it was all re-equipped, she went back onto the balcony and scoured the skies.

It was easy to spot the avian in the sky, having gotten closer if anything. True drew her bow and aimed at the moving target, trying to follow his path. Then when she was sure her aim was right, she fired the arrow, watching it sail in the air.

Mumbo had been looking in every building he had come across, which had been harder than it sounded since the land of the island was damaged beyond belief. Rubble was everywhere and creeper holes littered the terrain. He kept looking up at Grian, hoping he would find something so that he wouldn’t need to bother with the buildings.

The redstoner was just climbing out of another building through the mostly blocked up door when he looked up in the sky. Grian was still flying, but he watched as one moment an arrow hit the avian and the next he was covered in fire and falling to the ground. Immediately Mumbo started running in Grian’s direction. 

A few minutes before, Grian had finished looking at yet another section of the island from overhead and turned around to view the next one. He was so focused on the ground below, he wasn’t paying attention to the airspace around him until suddenly an arrow struck his wing. Fire from the arrow spread to his wings and the rest of his body, making it feel even worse. 

Grian tried to flap his wings and move towards the water. He wasn’t sure what that stuff was, but he hoped it would put him out. The problem was that the arrow had hit his wing in just the right place that even twitching it slightly felt like agony. And since he only had use of one of his wings, the avian started plummeting to the ground. He at the very least managed to twist his body so that way his wings were below him so that the feathers helped soften his fall.

“Don’t worry. I got you Gri.” Grian heard Mumbo say and a moment later he could hear a bucket of water get spilled out, dousing the fire that was covering his body.

“Th-Thanks. Ow that hurt.” Grian thanked Mumbo and stood up to brush himself off. “I didn’t even notice that- mmph!” Grian was cut off as suddenly Mumbo’s lips met his in a kiss. His eyes widened in shock, especially as Mumbo tried to deepen the kiss. At that point Grian pushed him away. “Wh-What?!”

“Sorry. Just been a while. And with that just happened…” Mumbo gave a half smile. Grian sort of knew where he was coming from, but this hardly seemed like something to warrant a kiss like that. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Uh, yeah. Thanks for the water. Won’t be able to fly for a bit though. I got shot right in the wing and even potions are going to have trouble with that.”

“Well I can help you with that later. That arrow came from the castle, so we should be careful about any more from there.”

Grian nodded, but then paused. If anyone was going to be shooting at him, it might be because they didn’t want him getting to Jrum. And if that were the case, then Jrum was in the castle. “Well then we should be going to the castle, right?”

Mumbo smiled. “Of course. Lead the way.” Mumbo gestured towards the castle and Grian rushed off, not hearing the words that were added on at the end. “My dear.”

Mumbo followed along behind Grian, heading towards the castle. He didn’t bother picking up the water that had been placed down. Who would care about that? In fact, he even threw the bucket behind him, not watching where it landed.

The bucket sailed through the air before finally landing with a thunk. Mumbo rubbed his head, glad that the item had been empty. “Who would throw an empty bucket?” He asked no one in particular before finally getting to the top of the hill. Sitting there was a water source,  likely from the bucket. This should have been where Grian landed, but the avian was nowhere in sight. “I didn’t realize he had a bucket of water on him.” He then realized it was red instead. “Wait, this is water from here… Who placed this?”

Mumbo continued to look at the surrounding terrain and noticed the water had made the surrounding mycelium a bit muddy. There seemed to be two sets of footprints, and in one print, a feather had been stepped on. Said feather was a bright red, which could only belong to one person. Mumbo’s eyes followed the prints, watching as they went towards the castle. If Grian was anywhere, he would be there, so he started walking in that direction.

Grian raised an eyebrow as Mumbo held his hand, but he supposed it made sense with what just happened and them going into a dangerous area. They carefully walked through the halls of the castle, checking every room. So far there was no sign of Jrum, but there weren’t even signs of anyone. But then they were turning down one hallway and ran into someone who looked like Tango, except his skin was a lavender color, his hair even darker than Mumbo’s and his eyes glowing purple rather than red.

“It was easier to find you two than I thought.” The not Tango spoke, pulling out an axe of some sort of pink colored metal. He ran towards Grian and Mumbo, ready to attack, but then Mumbo pulled out a piece of TNT. Immediately not Tango stopped in his tracks, and then Mumbo was pulling Grian another direction, placing the TNT down and causing not Tango to scream.

“How’d you know that would work?” Grian asked as they ran.

“Didn’t, just had a slight hunch.” Mumbo replied. “Let’s go up those stairs.” And Grian looked over where Mumbo pointed, the two of them then turning to go that way.

Behind them, the not Tango tried to find another path. He didn’t get far though before running into Mumbo. In an instant the axe was out in front of him, ready to attack. “Gah! Don’t take a step closer or-” Not Tango looked around, surprised to not see Grian. “Where’d the bird go?”

“You saw him? Which way did he go?”

“You two already got separated? That’s so unlike you.” Not Tango answered. Mumbo looked away from the helsmit, who took the opportunity to attack. The redstoner noticed just in time and was able to dodge the attack, running to dive behind the block of TNT nearby. It obviously wasn’t the safest place, but it was still cover. One that happened to repel the not Tango, who freaked out at the block.

When Grian reached the top of the stairs with Mumbo, the redstoner pulled the two of them into a nearby room. It was thankfully empty, and Grian watched as Mumbo locked the door behind them. “Well, they know we’re here now. It would probably be good to deal with your wing, hmm?”

Grian nodded. “Yeah, it would be good to do that so I’m not hindered at all. We’ll probably need all the help we can get with this.”

Mumbo came over to Grian as he was busy climbing onto the table in the room so that Mumbo had a better platform to treat him on. Just as he was settling down, ready to shift his wings back into existence, Mumbo grabbed him from behind, the redstoner’s mouth suddenly on his neck. Grian gasped, not sure how to react, and before he could do anything, Mumbo was off him again, leaving a purplish-red mark on Grian’s neck.

Grian turned to face Mumbo, only to be kissed again. Grian wanted to complain, but Mumbo’s hand found the sweet spot on his back, right between his shoulder blades, and Grian couldn’t help but melt into the redstoner’s arms.

Mumbo panted as he reached the top of the stairs, having been chased by someone that almost looked like Zedaph. He had been cornered and nearly killed, but then the not Tango showed up and the two of them started fighting each other instead. Mumbo used the opening to run, getting up to the next floor. At the top of the steps, he thought about just standing there a bit longer to catch his breath, but then he heard what sounded like Grian behind a nearby door. 

It sounded like he might have been hurt, so the redstoner rushed to the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked. Another noise from inside worried Mumbo, and he immediately had a pickaxe in his hand and broke down the metal door. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but it wasn’t this. In front of him was himself and Grian. The avian was sitting on a table as he kissed him, hands working on pulling the red sweater off. “What in the world?!”

Grian opened his eyes when Mumbo spoke, looking to see what the problem was. They then widened to the point they were practically bulging out of his skull as he saw Mumbo in the doorway as Mumbo was also currently kissing him.

Grian pushed Mumbo, the one kissing him, away so he could say something. “Mumbo?!”

The Mumbo who had been kissing Grian turned around to see the second version of him in the doorway before looking back at Grian. “Wait. You’re not Grifter.”

“Uh, no. I’m Grian? W-Which one of you is Mumbo?”

“I am!” Mumbo spoke up, attempting to go to Grian’s side, but his hels counterpart stopped him.

“And I’m Sense. Are you sure you’re Grian though? Because your body is just the same as I remember Grifter having~. The same soft lips and strong muscles. And I’m sure you have the same-”

Grian felt Sense’s hand start to move down his back as he spoke, so the avian shoved him away. “Nope! We are not doing this! Absolutely not!”

Sense pouted and gave a huff. “Fine, then what are you doing here?”

“We’re here looking for our son.” Mumbo replied. “I’m guessing since you didn’t realize this was Grian, you haven’t seen him.”

“What would that have to do with it?” Sense replied. “Though didn’t realize he was your son too. Anyway, of course I’ve seen him.” When Grian opened his mouth, Sense stopped him by continuing. “Oh, but I won’t be telling you anything just like that. I need something out of it.”

“Oh ew no!” Grian replied, moving behind Mumbo.

“Oh please, I wouldn’t want that. Okay maybe if you were offering… but no, if you can get here from your little Hermitcraft world, you might be able to get to the last season of Helscraft.”

“And why would you want that?” Mumbo asked.

“Grifter got left behind, and none of us can go back there ourselves. I mean, there are a few here who can, but no one who’s willing to actually free Grifter.”

“I’m afraid we can’t either. Xisuma’s the one who brought Grian and I here. And I doubt he would want to send us anywhere else.”

Sense scoffed in irritation. “Fine, then I have one other option, but you’ll need to help me out Grian.”

Grian winced, clinging tighter to Mumbo. “Wh-What do you want?”

“I’m really a fan at how True is running this place. I would have loved to be emperor, but without Grifter, I didn’t have a chance. However, if you’re with me, I can make a bluff for the throne.”

Grian hesitated, weighing his options. Finally, he sighed. “Okay. Fine.”

“Grian, you don’t have to say yes.”

“If it’ll help us find him, I’m going to do it.” Grian stopped hiding behind Mumbo. “I’m in. Just as long as any contact from you stays above the waist!”

Sense frowned at that. “Really? Because-”

“Touch anything below that, and you won’t have hands to try again with.”

“Alright, alright. I won’t!” Sense replied, actually smiling slightly. “In fact and attitude like that should help sell it. Now let’s go find True. I’d stay in here if I were you Mumbo. Wouldn’t want you ruining things and not be able to get that information.”

Mumbo wanted to argue, but Sense was already out of the room dragging Grian behind, leaving the hermit to find a place to sit and wait.

“There you go. Th-Those wings should work fine for you.” A pig hybrid spoke, putting down a clipboard.

NPG helped Jrum down from the examination table he had been sitting on. “Thanks Prof! Let’s go test them out Jrum!”

“O-Oh, by the way, you two should be careful out there.” Prof stopped the brothers before they could leave. “I g-got a message from True. A-Apparently she saw Grifter. I would th-think she mistook you for him again… e-except you’ve obviously here.”

“Oh! Then I suppose we will need to be very careful as we attempt to fly.” NPG replied, starting to leave again, but this time Jrum stopped him.

“Um, NPG? How long have I been here exactly?”

“Hmmm… Maybe half a day? Not too long.”

“But I was out for a while trying to get to that place in the nether… So I’ve been gone longer than that. Maybe that’s not the Grifter person, but maybe that’s my dad looking for me?”

“Oh! That’s probably it! Even more of a reason to try flying! So we can go over to the castle and see if that’s him!”

“Well i-if you’re going to do that, stay safe.” Prof smiled and waved goodbye to the two robots before going back to his other work. “Hmm… l-looks like Xannes is trying some new scheme. G-Guess I’ll have to go over there now to stop him.”

Xisuma woke up with a literal jolt as something shocked his arm. He tried to move to see what it was, only to find himself unable to move anything, being tied down to a chair. “Mind telling me why you brought Grifter here?” A deep voice spoke, one X was very familiar with.

“Evil X? Where am I?” Xisuma tried to turn his head around even a little to see where his brother was.

“You happen to be in my base. I coded in something so that you would be brought here if you ever came to Helscraft. I never expected it would actually be used. But right now I’m very grateful for it.” Now Evil X walked into Xisuma’s line of sight. He was surprised to see that his brother wasn’t wearing a helmet, then noticing that he himself wasn’t wearing one either. “Where’s my helmet?”

“Oh you don’t need that. I know it helps you access all your fun little admin powers like mine gives me my hacks. The air here is breathable so you don’t need to worry about that and we can have a nice little chat. Now. Why did you bring Grifter here?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Evil X smacked Xisuma with a shovel. “Wrong answer, try again.”

“No, I’m serious. I don’t know what you mean. I came here with two of my Hermits, that’s all!”

“You? Bringing hermits with you? Why?”

“Someone from here kidnapped one of their sons.”

Evil X cursed. “You brought Grian and Mumbo. That’s not going to end well. NPG’s got the kid so I have a clue of where he might be. The question is how fast we can find them.”

“Who’s NPG? And you still haven’t explained about ‘Grifter’.”

“NPG is the closest thing we have to Grian here. Technically, that title would go to Grifter, but none of us can deal with him. We locked him up and left him behind in our old world. Look me in the eyes brother.” Evil X stared at Xisuma, waiting until the hermit was looking back. “I want to destroy your server. I want it to burn to the ground. I wouldn’t mind if all your hermits died and couldn’t… well okay, maybe just had trouble respawning. We grief and steal and have actual wars here. But I would never, not in a million years, ever want you to deal with Grifter. That’s how bad he is. And right now, it seems like the others here think Grian is.”

Xisuma immediately tried to stand up, only finding himself struggling in his bindings. “Then we need to stop that.”

“No, we don’t need to do anything. This is my server, I’m dealing with it.” Evil X started to walk away, but Xisuma heard him stop walking for a moment. “Plus, I wouldn’t mind having you own me in the long run.”

[killingstalkingbigbang]

Shipwrecked! AU

Artist: @ignorrr-me

Writer: @killingstalkingxoxo

Synopsis:Bum and Sangwoo find themselves stranded on the shores of a deserted island, both men must now struggle to survive,,,

Content Warning: NSFW

Bum’s eyes fluttered open, awaking to the uncomfortable feeling of the hot sun beating down against his body. He could already feel the painful blisters forming on his skin from the scorching heat. As he sat up, he whimpered softly, his head spinning from the sudden movement. To his annoyance, his head ached, his throat was beyond dry and his lips were blistered.  

When he finally opened his eyes all he could see was white sand and furious waves crashing and rolling along the shore. 

 “Where am I?” He said with a cracking voice.

 “A-and where is Sangwoo.”He tried to recall what happened, but the memories only came back in pieces. He remembered being on a ship with Sangwoo and now he was here, alone on the beach with not a single soul in sight. He stood up as fast as his aching head and body would allow and then looked around trying to get a better understanding of where he was. He let out a soft gasp when he noticed foot prints in the sand. 

They couldn’t be his, they were much larger in comparison to his own. The prints looked as if they came from the ocean up to where he was and then went off into the distance. Had he been carried from the sea? He began to follow them, surely they would lead him to someone. Hopefully Sangwoo. A smile made its way to his lips at the thought of seeing Sangwoo. His handsome Oh Sangwoo. If there was anyone in the world he’d want to be on this island with, it definitely would be him. His pace quickened when he could finally see someone nearby.

“Sangwoo!!” He tried calling out to the figure but his voice was too dry to be audible.When he finally got close enough to the person, indeed it was Sangwoo. He looked as beautiful and statuesque as ever. He was dressed in only a pair of black shorts, exposing his perfect physique. 

His muscular form glistened and shined with sweat, making each muscle look that much more pronounced and appealing. Bum found himself burning up even more… But not from the heat.

“So you woke up.” Said the familiar voice.

“S-Sangwoo, where are we?” Bum croaked.

“God, you sound fucking awful.” He handed Bum a large brown bottle filled with fresh water.So kind~ Bum thought to himself fondly as he drank a generous amount of the fluid. The water felt so good down his throat, instantly curing the uncomfortable dryness. He kept drinking and drinking until he suddenly felt a sharp sting on his cheek. Sangwoo had slapped him so hard he was sent reeling to the ground.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Sangwoo shrieked.

 “What are you?! Some greedy pig?! That water has to last!!” He quickly snatched it away from Bum and held it protectively like it was his child. 

“No more fucking water for you.” He chided. 

“Greedy little bastard…”

“I-I’m sorry! I was thirsty.”

“You’ll be even more sorry when we die out here of thirst…”

“Sangwoo… How did we get here? I remember we were on a ship”With a snort and disbelieving smile Sangwoo said, 

“Look around you idiot.”Bum shifted his gaze to his surroundings. He was surprised to find that there was rubble and ship parts all along the sand. 

“Is that our–-”

“Yes.” Sangwoo replied simply. 

“I guess you must’ve hit your head really hard if you don’t remember the storm that landed us here. I tried to save what I could, but there’s not much left of our ship.” Sangwoo had managed to acquire some food and supplies from the wreckage and had already started a fire with whatever he could find around the island.

“Wha?” Bum said with dumb shock. He turned his head back to Sangwoo and let out a nervous laugh.

“Y-you’re j-joking right?” Then his eyes darted back to the shore and to the unmistakably real debris and ship parts. 

“That can’t be our ship."He laughed incredulously again."If that’s our ship then we’re–-”

“Fucked?” Sangwoo interrupted.

“Yes, we’re fucking fucked. We only have enough food to last us a week… If that…”

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God!” Bum chanted like a mantra. 

“We’re going to die!”

“Stop being so morbid.” Sangwoo chided.

“Like I said, we have a week to figure this out. If we’re lucky, we’re not the only ones on this island.”It was almost night now and the boys spent the entire day searching the island for any sign of life with no luck. All they had found was a huge mountainous jungle that was thick with a variety of plants, trees and exotic flowers.

“Sangwoo… I-I hate jungles!” Bum squeaked, cowering in fear at the ominous looking entrance to the jungle.  Sangwoo rolled his eyes, trying hard to fight the urge to slap Bum across the head. 

“We’re not going in there you moron. We’d definitely get lost. Let’s head back to our campsite. I’m starving.”When they returned to their camp Sangwoo started another fire. His time in the military was definitely paying off now.

“Bum I’m gonna go grab our food. Make sure the fire doesn’t go out.” Sangwoo walked over to where he’d placed their food and immediately noticed that something wasn’t right. Their food was gone!

“What the hell… What the hell?!” Sangwoo’s eyes darted around the area, making sure they weren’t deceiving him. 

“Shit!!” He ran back to Bum and searched all of their things. That’s when he noticed their water was gone too. With a loud thud, he collapsed on his knees and started pounding his fist into the sand.

“What’s wrong Sangwoo?” Bum asked, confused by the sudden outburst.

“ALL OF OUR SHIT IS GONE!!”Bum gasped. 

“Wh-what are we going to do?!”Sangwoo stopped his fist midair, staring blankly into the sand in thought. His eyes widened and a smile suddenly played on his lips. 

“We’re dead.” He finally said.

“We-we’re not! We can find the person and get our food back!”Sangwoo burst out laughing.

“You really think we’ll be able to find them now? Forget it. We’re screwed.” He got up and walked over to where Bum was seated, then with a dejected sigh he sat down and wrapped an arm around the smaller male’s shoulder.  

“Bum… Let’s go swim in the ocean.”A stupid sounding 

“Huuuuh?” was all Bum could utter at the sudden suggestion. 

 “If I’m gonna die out here, I want to have some fun before I go.”Before Bum could say another word, Sangwoo was already grabbing him roughly and peeling off his clothing.

“B-but S-Sangwoo! Bum whined as Sangwoo stripped him naked. 

"I hate the ocean!”

“Wow your dick is so small. Could you even fuck someone with this?”Bringing his hand down to cover up his nudity, Bum whined in protest.

“I-I Don’t know how to swim! What if a shark eats us!” Although from where he was sitting the ocean looked beautiful, he had absolutely zero desire to go in there. He complained like a toddler while Sangwoo leered at him in disgust.

“Fine, i’ll go in by myself.” Sangwoo announced. He stood up and brought his hands to the hem of his shorts slowly pulling them down and revealing his package. Bum Froze mid complaint, his eyes bulging out and his mouth gaping open at the sight of Sangwoo’s junior. 

“Look at you. Staring like a bitch in heat.” Sangwoo smirked and slowly walked backwards out towards the sea. Without another sound or complaint, Bum found himself following Sangwoo like a puppet on a string. Mesmerized by Sangwoo’s apparently magical cock.When Bum finally came to his senses he was standing at the edge of where sand met the sea, the waves gently creeping over his toes. He was surprised to find that the water wasn’t as bad as he was expecting. It was still warm and the wet sand kind of felt nice under his feet.

“What are you waiting for?” Sangwoo asked, beckoning Bum to come deeper into the water.

“Hurry up!”

“N-no! I’m too scared!”Sangwoo walked back up to where Bum was. With a sigh he extended a hand and asked, 

“Do you love me?”Bum didn’t even have to think.

“O-of course I-”

“You trust me then right?”Bum nodded

.“Take my hand.”With a bit of apprehension, Bum reached out and took Sangwoo’s hand. Then like a gentleman Sangwoo guided him into the water until it reached his chest.

“See? There’s nothing to be such a baby about.”The water looked so pretty under the illumination of the moonlight. It shimmered brightly as if there were shattered glass all along the surface.

“Kind of romantic isn’t it?” Sangwoo commented, quirking his brow and running a hand gently through Bum’s hair. 

“It’s like we’re a real couple or something.” With a quick jerk of his hand, Sangwoo pulled Bum into his chest.  

“Sangwoo, what are y–-”

“Stop talking.” Sangwoo’s eyes fell to Bum’s lips and without hesitating another second, their lips were pressed together. Bum inched closer to Sangwoo, wrapping his arms around the larger man’s shoulders the way he’d always daydreamed about.  Bum inhaled sharply when he felt a hand palming at his nipple, the feeling increasingly making him become more and more aroused. Sangwoo suddenly pulled back.

“You’re hard.” He commented with a grin that would make even Satan himself blush. Bum’s face burned with embarrassment.

“I’m s-sorry.” He uttered.

“Quit apologizing.” Sangwoo said with an amused smile. He dove into the water, pulling Bum down with him. Naturally Bum panicked, ungracefully flailing around like crazy. He resurfaced from the water coughing and wheezing for air like some sort of dying animal. Moments later Sangwoo came back up laughing at the sight of Bum’s pathetic coughing fit.

“Ack!!”

“You should see your face right now!” Sangwoo was hysterical, and although it was at the expense of Bum’s discomfort, Bum was happy to see him like that. Smiling, laughing and having a good time.

“Sangwoo… I love your smile.” Bum whispered bashfully, hiding his blush by covering his face with his hands. Warm hands pulled Bum’s away from his face and he looked up to meet Sangwoo’s gaze. They kissed again. This time the kiss was deep and messy. Full of lust just like how they both liked it. Sangwoo kept is eyes opened as they kissed. He loved seeing Bum like this, his soft features even more attractive with blush dusted over them. He loved the way Bum’s eyes fluttered shut and he adored the soft moans that escaped his lips. Of course he’d never admit it out loud though. He hauled Bum into his arms, Bum’s legs wrapping around his waist instinctively. With his strong arms Sangwoo carried his lover back onto the beach, his feet leaving wet footprints in the sand as he walked up to their campsite.After setting Bum down next to the campfire, Sangwoo brought his lips down the smaller male’s neck and collar bone, his tongue gently flicking against Bum’s wet skin. Then he kissed his way back up to his lips where he stayed for a while. Bum pulled away for a moment and the two men rested their foreheads together, their hot breath mixing together.

“Sang-Sangwoo.” Bum gasped.

“C-Can you touch me… Um, down there.”Sangwoo smiled in return.

“You know I don’t like people telling me what to do… But I’ll make an exception for you Bumi.” Bum’s hips arched upwards when Sangwoo reached in between his thighs and grasped his cock. He let out a blissed out groan as Sangwoo tenderly thumbed over his slit then slowly pumped his shaft.

“Sangwoo~” Bum breathed out. 

“I want… You in me…”

“You’re full of requests today aren’t you…” Sangwoo commented as he stroked Bum harder. Bum keened under Sangwoo’s skillful touch, his little pink cock so wet with precum leaking all over Sangwoo’s hand

.“Ahn! Sangwoo p-please.” He whined, rocking his hips against Sangwoo. Aching and begging for him to be inside.Sangwoo was ready to oblige. Bum’s wanton moans had him so dizzy with arousal all he could think about was fucking him until he really couldn’t walk anymore. He quickly slicked his dick up with spit and lined himself up with Bum’s pretty pink asshole. 

“You want this?” He asked in a sexy velvety tone that was nearly Bum’s undoing.

“Ye-yes Sangwoo!”Bum cried out when his lover finally thrust forward, pumping in and out ever so slowly at first just to savor the feeling of Bum around his cock. He picked up his pace and there was no longer anything slow or gentle about it. Sangwoo drove into Bum with the intensity of a wild animal and Bum loved every second of it. Groaning in pleasure every time Sangwoo hit his prostate viciously.Bum wrapped his legs around Sangwoo and rolled them over, groaning in ecstasy at the new position. 

“I wanna … Ride you.” He breathed out. Sangwoo smirked at Bum’s unexpected confidence, letting his head fall back and his eyes shut. Bum pressed his hands against Sangwoo’s chest, staring at his muscular body as he rode his perfectly thick cock.As he bounced his ass up and down he could feel his impending orgasm coming. 

“Ahh! Sangwoo.” He cried and his eyes fluttered shut as he rocked down against him faster.He came hard all over Sangwoo’s chest, sending Sangwoo over with him. Sangwoo grabbed Bum’s ass as he rode out his own orgasm, leaving red marks on Bum’s bare porcelain skin.

“So… Good~” Bum panted as he was winding down from the high.Sangwoo smirked and leaned forward to give Bum a kiss on the forhead. 

“Get some rest.” Sometime in the middle of the night the two were stirred awake by a strange sound around their camp.Sangwoo shot up first, immediately spotting someone rummaging through their things again.

“What the fuck!! He roared, launching forward and tackling the unknown man. "Where’s all of our shit you fucking thief!

”“P-please don’t hurt me!” The thief cried out.

“I’ll give you back all of your things!!” Bum and Sangwoo sized up the man. He wasn’t even a man, it was a teen. A teen who unlike Sangwoo and Bum was dressed stylishly in street clothing with a black choker that adorned his neck.

“Wait.” Bum started, scratching his head in confusion.

“Who are you and why are you on this deserted island.”“What do you mean deserted island?” The boy laughed and Sangwoo nearly lost it.

“You think this is funny you fucking punk. I’ll fucking castrate you, little bitch.”

“I’ll tell you a secret.” The handsome kid said with a smirk. 

“This is Hongdo Island you morons, it’s not some deserted island haha.”Bum and Sangwoo looked at each other incredulously. That would have meant they’d barely left Korea when they were out at sea.

“That can’t be right.” Bum said shaking his head in disbelief.

“Then why did you steal our food and water?”

“Well you see… My parents kicked me out when they found out I was sucking guys off for money and–-”

“Shut up.” Sangwoo interrupted pinching his nose.

“Bum let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“Wait!!” The boy called out. 

“Can I crash at your place tonight!?”

“No!!” Bum and Sangwoo yelled in unison.

[bangkokjacknews]

Thailand's Best Beaches

Thailand's Best #Beaches - So many tropical beach paradises in Thailand, so little time. You kind of can’t go wrong on any beach in #Thailand but we picked a few of our favorites anyway, including entire islands with multiple beach options.

Want to stroll for miles along deserted stretches of silky, white sand? Snorkel, dive, and surf just offshore? Party under a full moon until dawn, or just hide away from the rest of the world? There’s a beach—and islands filled with a variety of beach options—for that in Thailand.

Ko Jum This tiny car-free island is comprised of jungle, rubber trees, a few guesthouses and resorts, and that’s pretty much it. Somehow, the locals haven’t gone tourist crazy so it’s a true escape from more popular areas and just a great place for sunbathing, afternoon napping, and listening to waves lapping on the shore. There are no ferry piers or docks, so long-tail boats go to retrieve guests a few times a day from the big ferry boats out at sea.

Railay Beach No roads, no cars, just paradise. Railay is a peninsula between Krabi Town and Ao Nang and can only be reached by boat so it is remote, laid-back, and much quieter than its neighbor, Ao Nang. Railay’s craggy limestone karsts attract climbers from all over the world, while the pristine, white sands and the lack of vehicles attract vacationers desiring a blissfully relaxing destination. It’s the kind of place to read a book, swim multiple times a day, take a long-tailed boat ride and island-hop, or just chill and soak in the stunning setting. If you get antsy, hop on a boat to Ao Nang where there’s a little more going on. Or don’t.

Kata Beach An energetic and sporty family-friendly spot in Phuket, Kata Beach offers clear seas, white sands, plentiful accommodation options, lots of good food, and endless activities. There’s a wave park right at the beach entrance where you can rent surfboards or SUPs (Stand Up Paddleboards) and take lessons. Try acro-yoga on the beach then take to the water to snorkel, surf, and scuba dive. The south end of the beach is more relaxed if all that activity just seems too…active. INSIDER TIP - If the kids need a break from the sand, there’s a community park just across from the beach with jungle gyms.

Ao Sane One of Phuket’s prettiest little beaches, this is tucked around the horn from Nai Harn; it’s not a huge beach and has lots of places for shade. There’s a decent little restaurant a few steps away so you can easily spend a dreamy day sunbathing, snorkeling, and swimming, barely moving from your spot for pretty papaya shakes and drinks and a light lunch of crab curry. INSIDER TIP - Allow time to explore. There’s plenty to see in this area, including the Big Buddha, Karon Viewpoint, Promthep Cape, and more.

Ya Nui Another Phuket beauty, Ya Nui in the south of Phuket Island is a tiny beach that is split into two bays by a rock formation. It may be small but there are a few different sections to choose from: a cove to the left, a flat stretch in the middle, and some rocks to the right (where you’ll find good snorkeling). The water is that perfect blue-green, the setting features an island backdrop and grassy slopes, the attitude is relaxed and easy, and tiny thatch-roof restaurants serve up drinks and ice cream—what more could you need?

Nai Harn At the southern tip of Phuket, almost two hours from the airport, this crescent of pristine white beach is off-the-beaten tourist track (which makes it worth the trek); think, “jungle-covered mountain backdrop, sailboats anchored in the distance when it’s season, a high-end resort on one end, and a lookout point with a windmill marking the other side.” The water is calm and clear with an occasional gentle wave. There are a few beachside restaurants where you can grab a coconut and bring it right down to the beach, or sit around in lounge chairs sipping Singhas with locals. There’s beach volleyball in the evenings, and sunset happy hour at the Rock Salt. It’s an easy, gorgeous spot to holiday for a while, and we recommend renting mopeds to explore the surrounding area.

Laem Singh This hidden cove is accessible only by boat from Surin Beach (because the neighboring landowner doesn’t want tourists traipsing through his trees!). As small as this beach is, there are still lounge chairs and boogie boards for rent, in addition to a restaurant with decent food and drinks complete with very pretty views. Even on a cloudy day, Laem Singh feels tropical, with trees hugging the beach and turquoise waters lapping at the shore. When the waves are up, it makes a stellar spot for a bodyboarding. INSIDER TIP - If you want to get a look at this spot from above (and snap an excellent selfie), get on a scooter and stop at the Laem Singh View Point.

Koh Yao Noi Remarkably untouristed despite its location just an hour’s boat ride from Phuket, Koh Yao Noi is the remote beach you’ve been dreaming of. While there’s internet in many of the guesthouses, this is a destination where you’ll find it easy to disconnect—fall asleep to the sounds of gently lapping waves, not a pumping bass. Rent a scooter and explore the island. Check out the little beach shacks along the beach, where you can get a simple lunch and have a dip in the calm waters. Find deserted stretches of beach that you can have all to yourself. Explore mountains and rainforests in the center of the island, and stop to photograph rubber plantations, rice paddies, palm trees and water buffalo. Stay at a backpacker-ish yoga shala for a weeks’ retreat, or kick it up a notch and stay at the Six Senses.

Koh Bon Less than an hour’s boat ride from Rawai on the southeast coast of Phuket, Koh Bon is one of the smaller islands of the Similan Islands but delivers big on the basic necessities for a great beach day, with natural beauty, pristine sands, swings, and palm trees. Bring some supplies from a mini-mart in Rawai and just ask (offer to pay) your longtail driver to hang out for a few hours (he most likely will, closely moored to the other drivers, happily having a chat with his feet up). You might share this stretch of beach with some picnicking locals or a few couples posing for wedding photos, but otherwise it’s likely all yours.

Bottle Beach Arrive by boat to this secluded cove known as the best beach on Koh Phangnan, a lifetime away from the raging Full Moon Parties on the south side of the island. Spend days snorkeling, kayaking, or hiking through the hills behind the beach, and your evenings just chilling and soaking in the serenity. (Long-tail boats deliver day tourists, but in the evening they depart and this end of the island empties out.) INSIDER TIP - This beach can also be accessed by motorbike, but it’s difficult, dangerous, and not recommended. Take a boat instead!

Haad Salad The polar opposite of Haad Rin and its banging Full Moon Parties, Haad Salad is just a tiny, quiet cove, perfect for snorkeling and lazing the day away, waiting for the perfect pink splash of sunset. The beach here is perfection: white sandy bay with shallow, crystal-clear waters, shouldered by green cliffs. A great place to spend your time before and after the Full Moon Party and an even better place to just avoid it altogether.

Silver Beach Koh Samui has plenty of long white sandy beaches populated with resorts, restaurants, massage parlors, and nightlife, but if you want a little break from the tropical hustle and bustle, visit Silver Beach, also known as Thong Takian Beach. Located in Crystal Bay Cove, between Lamai and Chaweng, Silver Beach is calm and quiet; its silver-white sands are dotted with boulders, and it’s bordered by jungle. Activity options include snorkeling, kayaking, and getting a relaxing massage under the shade of a tree on the beach.

Koh Tao’s Beaches Koh Tao, meaning “turtle island,” is the place for all things diving and getting your PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification, but it’s also known for its spectacular beaches. Spend some time on Shark Bay Beach and snorkel with blacktip reef sharks and green turtles in turquoise water. Sai Daeng Beach is one of Koh Tao’s best beaches for marine life, as is Ao Leuk, which has a small entry fee (but it’s worth it for the lounge chairs, cold drinks, and pretty beach). INSIDER TIP - In December and January, there are tiny jellyfish that populate the coast, but the little guys are harmless.

Lonely Beach A backpacker-favorite for decades, Lonely Island on the eastern side of Thailand, has become slightly more upmarket, and it’s not so lonely anymore. The beach is beautiful, clean, uncrowded, and fringed with palm trees so it’s the perfect place to refine your beach bum skills. There’s a nightlife scene if you want to partake, with a few funky cocktail bars, and, if you’re lucky you can float in phosphorescence under the moonlight (a particularly popular pastime here).

Koh Kood The fifth largest island in Thailand, but still relatively undeveloped, Koh Kood (also known as Koh Kut) is in the Gulf of Thailand, north of the maritime border with Cambodia. The island’s main beaches are spread out along the west and south coasts and while there isn’t one agreed-upon best beach, favorites include the lively Klong Chao and the picturesque Ao Noi. Snorkel, sunbathe, swim, and just snooze and when you tire of that, hike to Klong Yai Ki Waterfalls, or venture around the island to Ao Salat or Ao Yai fishing villages for barbequed fresh catches.

Koh Kradan Just off Trang Province, this island is picture-postcard Thailand. Here, you’ll find powdery white sand and views across calm waters to the islands Ko Ngai, Ko Muk (which is a nice place to visit to explore the Emerald Cave), Ko Libong, and a few karst islets like Ko Lao Liang and Ko Phetra. Most of this island is part of the Hat Chao Mai National Park, and so it’s undeveloped. There are no cars or ATMs, just a few resorts, bungalows, and beaches galore. One of the most noteworthy is Ao Chong Lom Beach, or Sunset Beach, which is memorable for its—you guessed it—gorgeous sunsets. INSIDER TIP - Visit (or avoid) Koh Kradan around Valentine’s Day for its annual Underwater Wedding Ceremony, when couples from around the world swim up the aisle together. To participate, you and your partner must be certified divers.

Koh Mai Phai Located between Krabi coast and the Phi Phi islands and also—misleadingly—known as Bamboo Island (the main flora here are Casuarinas trees), this tiny, heart-shaped island is home to a quiet and beautiful beach that gives off desert-island feels. Snorkel in the reef with hawksbill sea turtles, lionfish, and leopard sharks, and then head back to the bar shack on the north side for some nibbles and a cold beer. - Erin Gifford/fodors.com – You can follow BangkokJack on Instagram, Twitter & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

[themadlostgirl]

Not Dead Yet (Part 16)

*Holidays, work and a whole lot of procrastination later I give to you this very late update! Hope it was worth the wait! Love ya, kitties!*

Pairing: Reader x Peter Pan

Warnings: language

Stupid Pan. You accidentally come across your leader after he spends a night in some other realm having drunken sex and suddenly you’re being threatened at knife point. So I teased him a little I think I more than earned that right. If I truly wanted to embarrass him I would tell the other boys. A lot, almost half the boys, have a vendetta against girls, me being the only exception. If they were to learn that their leader left to satisfy his impulses then I doubt they’d see him the same. He had to know this which is why he was still giving me dirty looks when I got back to camp.

“What did you do?” Felix was on me before I had time to register anyone was near me.

“How are you so sure I’ve done something?” I asked.

“Pan shows up looking livid with you following shortly behind. What’d you do to piss him off this time?”

“Nothing.” I shrugged, “I just talked to him is all.”

“With you that’s enough.”

I rolled my eyes and reached to pick up an apple, “He’s just upset because I caught him in a compromising position.”

“Y/N!” Pan snapped.

“I didn’t say anything.” I moved around Felix with a skip. Pan was still glaring at me as I walked back to my tent.

~~~

“Pan?” Felix turned towards him.

“No.” Peter stood up and left for his Thinking Tree.

It had to be her. Anyone else on this godforsaken island they wouldn’t have dared to make fun of him. But no. It had to be the thorn in his side that loved more than anything to tease him. Now she had one up on him and it was annoying. He was the one that was supposed to be in control of everything. Not some smug little girl with an oversized hunk of wood!

Dark clouds rolled across the once sunny sky and the distant sound of thunder cracked in the distance. Normally he’d try to make the weather abate but he was in too sour a mood to bother. Let it pour. Flood the entire camp for all he cared. Be a nice bit of karma for how she treated him. Dumb Lost Girl.

~~~

The rain didn’t stop for the rest of the day. I stand by my original statement that if Peter Pan is anything he is a drama queen. He takes things so personally at times that it’s exhausting. Living with that for over a decade is as tiring and annoying as it sounds.

Over the next couple of months Pan didn’t leave the island much if at all. I suppose after I caught him he got too embarrassed to leave for some time. That died after about four or five months. Given how often he disappeared before I’m surprised he held out for that long. When he came back neither of us said a word. We’d exchange a glance, mine mocking, his threatening, and move on with our day.

One day we were out playing knights and thieves. I was a thief trying to find the red flag that was hidden somewhere on the island. Of course it was Pan that had hidden it so it was seemingly impossible to find.

“See anything?” Ben called up from the ground.

“No!” I shouted back. I was up in a tree trying to spot a red dot in a field of green. “If he put it this high up I’m not seeing it.”

“Well come on down then, we’ll keep--”

“Ben? Ben?” I started to climb down.

“Knights! Run!” I saw him as he made a break for it, two other boys chasing after him.

Below me one of the boys acting as a knight saw me and started climbing. “Crap.”

I hopped to the tree next to me and the one after that. The poor boy was fairly new to the island and so not as adept as a seasoned Lost Girl at maneuvering through the jungle. Especially when aloft. I lost him easily.

Now where was I? I looked around and groaned when I saw I was back near the northern part of the island. I had backtracked almost the entire way back to camp. Well, if I’m here then I’m going to grab a snack.

“Wow, give up already?” Felix spotted me entering the camp. Pan and him seemed to be in some sort of deep discussion before I showed up.

“Nah, just taking a rest. Got anything to eat?” I asked.

“Catch.” he tossed me an apple. Why is it always apples?

“So, what trouble are you two causing today?”

“I believe that would be none of your business, Y/N.” Pan said.

“Someone’s testy.” I smirked, “Maybe you need to go on a visit somewhere.”

I knew I was testing myself but honestly his irked expression is too amusing to not evoke every now and again.

“Maybe I will.”

“Give the gullible duntz my sympathies.” I sauntered back into the jungle. Huh, that was painless. I thought for sure--

In an instant I was blown to the ground by an invisible force. Magic. Right.

“Y’know,” I rolled to my back so I was staring up at him, “There is a less violent way to get my attention.”

“Maybe, but this is the only way to get you to listen.” he growled.

“You are such a baby.” I groaned as I stood up, “It was a joke. I swear you are one of the most sensitive people I have ever met.”

“Me? Sensitive?” he scoffed, “You do know who you’re talking to right?”

“Yep. Just because you’re the leader doesn’t make you any less touchy.” I shrugged. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I am not embarrassed!”

“Sure you are. Why else would you come charging after me if you hadn’t thought that your pride was bruised?” His eyes flashed dangerously and I knew I needed to start treading more carefully. “You have to know by now I just say those things to get a rise out of you. You do the same exact thing to me, remember? What’s so wrong with some good-natured teasing?”

He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. “See? You can’t even come up with a good argument.”

“I’m gonna give you five seconds to start running.”

“Pan, c’mon”

“Five, four--”

“What exactly are you going to do if I don’t run?”

Again he lapsed into silence. “See, you don’t want to hurt me.” I slung an arm over his shoulder, “I’m your Lost Girl, one of your top recruits and friend.”

“You think awfully high of yourself.” he smirked down at me playfully.

“Of course. Who else would you allow to get away with as much crap as I have? Like the whole debacle over your late night visits.”

“Will you ever drop that?”

“Only when it stops being funny.”

“I thought the idea of me in that scenario disgusted you.” he leaned closer towards me with a strange glint in his eye, “Or did I misread something?”

“You wish.” I swallowed back the hot lump in my throat.

“Maybe I do.” The tips of his fringe brushed against my forehead sending a shiver down my spine. Anytime he had been this close before he had been threatening me. Now, I don’t know what he was doing.

“Weirdo.” I took a large step back, “You go back to chatting with Felix. I have a flag I need to find.”

“Flag’s in the east, pet!” he called after me.

I turned around bumping Pan out of the way. “If it’s really in the east I will forgive you calling me pet.”

About half an hour later I was holding the missing red flag in my hand and a slightly bloodied dagger in the other. Tootles got in my way just as I was about to reach it and I went on the offensive. Good news for my team, bad news for Tootles’ sliced open forehead.

When we returned to camp triumphant the only recognition I got from Pan was a cheeky smirk. Little imp. With his stupid smirks and those pointy cheekbones and cocky attitude. Just watching him swagger around could annoy me to no end.

“So,” he knocked me with his elbow, “Was it in the east, pet?”

“I said I’d forgive you for the one.” I elbowed him hard in the rib, “That’s for the second.”

“Down girl.” he rubbed his side. “You’re getting a little handsy today.”

“Elbowing you is not handsy. Trust me.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” he shrugged, looping an arm around my waist, “I know handsy. This is handsy.”

“So’s this.” I poked his butt with the tip of my dagger and he let go of me. “Lay a hand on me again and I’ll carve my initials into your gluteus maximus.”

“I’ve seen you naked but god forbid I touch you.” he huffed, “I’m heading out, you enjoy the night.”

“Going for a visit?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he disappeared into the jungle.

“Don’t want to know!” I shouted after him. There was a sound of a portal opening further out into the jungle and I knew Pan was gone. “Creep.”

Wait a second. Pan’s gone. He’s going to be gone for the entire night if he’s doing what I suspect he has left to do. The phoenix feather tucked in my shirt burned like a dark omen of temptation.

No! I am not going to risk my neck just to find some of Pan’s secrets. His dark, probably incredibly revealing and humanizing secrets. Secrets that could help me understand how someone who was probably normal at one point became the magical tyrant of a realm where no one ever ages.

I did a quick scan of the camp before melting into the shadows and high-tailing it for the shore. What Pan doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

I got to the shore closest to Skull Rock. The only question was how I was going to get across. I could swim but I know my stamina wouldn’t be able to power me there and back before morning. The only other ways I could think of was if I had a boat or some pixie dust. I’ve never flown before and pixie dust was already hard to find. By the time I found some the sun would be creeping back over the ocean.

If I know Pan he wouldn’t waste perfectly good pixie dust just to cross the ocean. He can’t just teleport there either, some strange restriction on his magic if memory served. That meant there had to be some kind of boat around here. I got closer to the water where the sand turned to rock. There was a narrow canal among the rock where an old row boat sat swaying in the waves. Perfect.

I stepped into the water and pulled it out towards the open ocean. I jumped in the boat and took up either oar. I’ve never rowed a boat but how hard could it be really? It took me a while and just rowing the boat in circles before I was able to push it forward toward Skull Rock.

Before I knew it I was sitting in the shadow of the menacing island. Being up close with the torchlight glowing from the eye sockets of the rock I felt my confidence waver. There was no going back now. I tied the boat on the shore and stood on the shore of the forbidden island.

“In and out…” I took a deep breath and trudged up the stairs. My heart was slamming against my ribs with every step I took. At the top of the stairs it opened up into a large cavern bathed in warm light. What I had thought was torchlight was in fact a large golden hourglass resting on a pile of skulls and bones in the middle of the cave.

What was this place? I tore my gaze from the hourglass with its flowing glowing sand and moved toward the back of the cave. I stared out across the dark ocean from the opening at the back of the cave. This whole place put me on edge and it wasn’t just because I knew I shouldn’t be here. It was as if a fog had rolled across the land and was warping my reality. This menacing, foreboding and forbidding place full of secrets was sad. I couldn’t explain it. I stepped on its soil and felt the weight of years of repressed sorrow flood in my chest. This wasn’t just a place to hide things he didn’t want others to see, it was a place to hide oneself from the world.

I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have done this.

Something scraped against the stone floor and I froze. Please let it not be what I think. I turned slowly but no one was there. My paranoia is getting to me. I need to get off this island. I stepped towards the stairs leading back to the mouth of the cave.

Crunch.

Huh? I stared down. Under my foot was a piece of old parchment. I picked it up without a second thought and studied what was on it. It was a drawing. A children’s drawing of a family.

“What in the…?” Out of the corner of my eye I saw something tucked behind the hourglass. I am only going to put this drawing back. I will not peer into his personal effects. I pushed aside some things to tuck the paper where it wouldn’t blow out. In my haste I knocked over the small chest I recognized from the cavern under Pan’s Thinking Tree.

“Crap.” I reached to put the items back in it. It was so strange though. It only contained an old pair of sheep shears and some pressed flowers. This seemed familiar. Why was this familiar?

I placed the flowers and shears away and slammed the lid of the chest shut. Children’s drawings, the little pink flowers, what else hiding up here? Why hide such mundane things? I picked up the bundle of cloth and unfolded it. It was a child’s shirt.

“You were a kid once.” I mumbled to myself. “How’d you end up here?”

I refolded the shirt and sit it back in place. There were more papers. More drawings of different families. Some better drawn than others. Some of the papers were just accounts of random adventures. Logs of his time on the island. I need to stop.

I shoved everything back into the corner and backed away. This was everything I had wanted to find. Why was I so guilty about finding it then? Why do these drawings of families make me sad? Why do I feel like I’m forgetting someone? Someone important.

With one last look at the giant hourglass I left the cave and untied the boat from the shore. It was still early in the night. I made it back to the shore of the main island and tied the boat back up where I found it.

“You know you shouldn’t have.” The voice made me jump. Waiting on the shore was Felix. “What are you doing, Y/N?”

“Promise you won’t tell Pan about this.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Felix, please.”

“This is a realm free of rules and responsibility. The ones that remain you always break. How can you expect me to let this go? The biggest rule we have!”

“You know that if he finds out about this he is going to kill me. No hesitation. No second chance.”

“If you knew the risk then why did you do it?”

There was no right answer here. We stood in silence. Felix grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the jungle. “Come on, Pandora.” Instead of dragging me back to camp or the cages we turned toward the denser part of the jungle. The part you could see Skull Rock from.

“Stay here. I’ll send Pan to deal with you when he gets back. Don’t think about running away. There’s no place for you to go and you know it.” he shoved me to the ground, “Now for once, sit down and do as you’re told.”

Felix walked back into the jungle and I was left alone with only my thoughts. My worry. My imagination of every worst case scenario. All arguments I came up with to save my neck failed. There’s no coming back from this one.

The night stretched on and I watched the sun start to peak over the ocean. Any minute now. The irony of it all. Back at the cliff waiting for Pan. Praying that I won’t die. When I heard the footsteps behind me I knew it wasn’t going to be much longer.

“Get up.” he demanded.

I stood up avoiding his gaze. “Felix told me what you did. Have anything to say?”

“I guess an apology would be kind of moot at this point huh?”

“What do you think?”

“If it’s worth anything I didn’t see much. I was only there five minutes, maybe less.”

“You’re right.” he grabbed a handful of my shirt. “It wasn’t worth anything.”

“Please just one thing. Let me say one thing.” I begged.

His grip tightened, “What?”

I pulled on his arms and forced my lips against his. He stiffened in my arms but I didn’t stop until I felt his grip on me slacken. I made to slip out of his grasp and run when I felt him start to kiss me back. His hand left my shirt to cradle the back of my neck, deepening the kiss. He’s surprisingly warm...warmer than I thought he’d be.

We finally pulled back for good and his eyes drifted open. His mouth quirking up into a smirk. “Well, was it what you wanted?”

“Yes, it was.” I snatched the sack of beans off his belt, “Sorry, Pan.” I shoved him over the side of the cliff and ran.

~~~

That sneaky, underhanded bitch! Peter pulled the emergency vial of pixie dust out of his pocket and uncapped it. He stopped mid-air before he could hit the water and shot back up toward the lip of the cliff. Y/N was quickly speeding through the jungle.

She glanced back with fright and dug her hand into the sack she stole from him. She withdrew a single bean and dropped it on the ground. She wasn’t getting away that easily! He shot towards the portal as she disappeared through it. He got to it just before it vanished and was in a whirlwind to someplace unknown.

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[bangkokjacknews]

Thailand's Best Beaches

Thailand's Best #Beaches - So many tropical beach paradises in Thailand, so little time. You kind of can’t go wrong on any beach in #Thailand but we picked a few of our favorites anyway, including entire islands with multiple beach options.

Want to stroll for miles along deserted stretches of silky, white sand? Snorkel, dive, and surf just offshore? Party under a full moon until dawn, or just hide away from the rest of the world? There’s a beach—and islands filled with a variety of beach options—for that in Thailand.

Ko Jum This tiny car-free island is comprised of jungle, rubber trees, a few guesthouses and resorts, and that’s pretty much it. Somehow, the locals haven’t gone tourist crazy so it’s a true escape from more popular areas and just a great place for sunbathing, afternoon napping, and listening to waves lapping on the shore. There are no ferry piers or docks, so long-tail boats go to retrieve guests a few times a day from the big ferry boats out at sea.

Railay Beach No roads, no cars, just paradise. Railay is a peninsula between Krabi Town and Ao Nang and can only be reached by boat so it is remote, laid-back, and much quieter than its neighbor, Ao Nang. Railay’s craggy limestone karsts attract climbers from all over the world, while the pristine, white sands and the lack of vehicles attract vacationers desiring a blissfully relaxing destination. It’s the kind of place to read a book, swim multiple times a day, take a long-tailed boat ride and island-hop, or just chill and soak in the stunning setting. If you get antsy, hop on a boat to Ao Nang where there’s a little more going on. Or don’t.

Kata Beach An energetic and sporty family-friendly spot in Phuket, Kata Beach offers clear seas, white sands, plentiful accommodation options, lots of good food, and endless activities. There’s a wave park right at the beach entrance where you can rent surfboards or SUPs (Stand Up Paddleboards) and take lessons. Try acro-yoga on the beach then take to the water to snorkel, surf, and scuba dive. The south end of the beach is more relaxed if all that activity just seems too…active. INSIDER TIP - If the kids need a break from the sand, there’s a community park just across from the beach with jungle gyms.

Ao Sane One of Phuket’s prettiest little beaches, this is tucked around the horn from Nai Harn; it’s not a huge beach and has lots of places for shade. There’s a decent little restaurant a few steps away so you can easily spend a dreamy day sunbathing, snorkeling, and swimming, barely moving from your spot for pretty papaya shakes and drinks and a light lunch of crab curry. INSIDER TIP - Allow time to explore. There’s plenty to see in this area, including the Big Buddha, Karon Viewpoint, Promthep Cape, and more.

Ya Nui Another Phuket beauty, Ya Nui in the south of Phuket Island is a tiny beach that is split into two bays by a rock formation. It may be small but there are a few different sections to choose from: a cove to the left, a flat stretch in the middle, and some rocks to the right (where you’ll find good snorkeling). The water is that perfect blue-green, the setting features an island backdrop and grassy slopes, the attitude is relaxed and easy, and tiny thatch-roof restaurants serve up drinks and ice cream—what more could you need?

Nai Harn At the southern tip of Phuket, almost two hours from the airport, this crescent of pristine white beach is off-the-beaten tourist track (which makes it worth the trek); think, “jungle-covered mountain backdrop, sailboats anchored in the distance when it’s season, a high-end resort on one end, and a lookout point with a windmill marking the other side.” The water is calm and clear with an occasional gentle wave. There are a few beachside restaurants where you can grab a coconut and bring it right down to the beach, or sit around in lounge chairs sipping Singhas with locals. There’s beach volleyball in the evenings, and sunset happy hour at the Rock Salt. It’s an easy, gorgeous spot to holiday for a while, and we recommend renting mopeds to explore the surrounding area.

Laem Singh This hidden cove is accessible only by boat from Surin Beach (because the neighboring landowner doesn’t want tourists traipsing through his trees!). As small as this beach is, there are still lounge chairs and boogie boards for rent, in addition to a restaurant with decent food and drinks complete with very pretty views. Even on a cloudy day, Laem Singh feels tropical, with trees hugging the beach and turquoise waters lapping at the shore. When the waves are up, it makes a stellar spot for a bodyboarding. INSIDER TIP - If you want to get a look at this spot from above (and snap an excellent selfie), get on a scooter and stop at the Laem Singh View Point.

Koh Yao Noi Remarkably untouristed despite its location just an hour’s boat ride from Phuket, Koh Yao Noi is the remote beach you’ve been dreaming of. While there’s internet in many of the guesthouses, this is a destination where you’ll find it easy to disconnect—fall asleep to the sounds of gently lapping waves, not a pumping bass. Rent a scooter and explore the island. Check out the little beach shacks along the beach, where you can get a simple lunch and have a dip in the calm waters. Find deserted stretches of beach that you can have all to yourself. Explore mountains and rainforests in the center of the island, and stop to photograph rubber plantations, rice paddies, palm trees and water buffalo. Stay at a backpacker-ish yoga shala for a weeks’ retreat, or kick it up a notch and stay at the Six Senses.

Koh Bon Less than an hour’s boat ride from Rawai on the southeast coast of Phuket, Koh Bon is one of the smaller islands of the Similan Islands but delivers big on the basic necessities for a great beach day, with natural beauty, pristine sands, swings, and palm trees. Bring some supplies from a mini-mart in Rawai and just ask (offer to pay) your longtail driver to hang out for a few hours (he most likely will, closely moored to the other drivers, happily having a chat with his feet up). You might share this stretch of beach with some picnicking locals or a few couples posing for wedding photos, but otherwise it’s likely all yours.

Bottle Beach Arrive by boat to this secluded cove known as the best beach on Koh Phangnan, a lifetime away from the raging Full Moon Parties on the south side of the island. Spend days snorkeling, kayaking, or hiking through the hills behind the beach, and your evenings just chilling and soaking in the serenity. (Long-tail boats deliver day tourists, but in the evening they depart and this end of the island empties out.) INSIDER TIP - This beach can also be accessed by motorbike, but it’s difficult, dangerous, and not recommended. Take a boat instead!

Haad Salad The polar opposite of Haad Rin and its banging Full Moon Parties, Haad Salad is just a tiny, quiet cove, perfect for snorkeling and lazing the day away, waiting for the perfect pink splash of sunset. The beach here is perfection: white sandy bay with shallow, crystal-clear waters, shouldered by green cliffs. A great place to spend your time before and after the Full Moon Party and an even better place to just avoid it altogether.

Silver Beach Koh Samui has plenty of long white sandy beaches populated with resorts, restaurants, massage parlors, and nightlife, but if you want a little break from the tropical hustle and bustle, visit Silver Beach, also known as Thong Takian Beach. Located in Crystal Bay Cove, between Lamai and Chaweng, Silver Beach is calm and quiet; its silver-white sands are dotted with boulders, and it’s bordered by jungle. Activity options include snorkeling, kayaking, and getting a relaxing massage under the shade of a tree on the beach.

Koh Tao’s Beaches Koh Tao, meaning “turtle island,” is the place for all things diving and getting your PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification, but it’s also known for its spectacular beaches. Spend some time on Shark Bay Beach and snorkel with blacktip reef sharks and green turtles in turquoise water. Sai Daeng Beach is one of Koh Tao’s best beaches for marine life, as is Ao Leuk, which has a small entry fee (but it’s worth it for the lounge chairs, cold drinks, and pretty beach). INSIDER TIP - In December and January, there are tiny jellyfish that populate the coast, but the little guys are harmless.

Lonely Beach A backpacker-favorite for decades, Lonely Island on the eastern side of Thailand, has become slightly more upmarket, and it’s not so lonely anymore. The beach is beautiful, clean, uncrowded, and fringed with palm trees so it’s the perfect place to refine your beach bum skills. There’s a nightlife scene if you want to partake, with a few funky cocktail bars, and, if you’re lucky you can float in phosphorescence under the moonlight (a particularly popular pastime here).

Koh Kood The fifth largest island in Thailand, but still relatively undeveloped, Koh Kood (also known as Koh Kut) is in the Gulf of Thailand, north of the maritime border with Cambodia. The island’s main beaches are spread out along the west and south coasts and while there isn’t one agreed-upon best beach, favorites include the lively Klong Chao and the picturesque Ao Noi. Snorkel, sunbathe, swim, and just snooze and when you tire of that, hike to Klong Yai Ki Waterfalls, or venture around the island to Ao Salat or Ao Yai fishing villages for barbequed fresh catches.

Koh Kradan Just off Trang Province, this island is picture-postcard Thailand. Here, you’ll find powdery white sand and views across calm waters to the islands Ko Ngai, Ko Muk (which is a nice place to visit to explore the Emerald Cave), Ko Libong, and a few karst islets like Ko Lao Liang and Ko Phetra. Most of this island is part of the Hat Chao Mai National Park, and so it’s undeveloped. There are no cars or ATMs, just a few resorts, bungalows, and beaches galore. One of the most noteworthy is Ao Chong Lom Beach, or Sunset Beach, which is memorable for its—you guessed it—gorgeous sunsets. INSIDER TIP - Visit (or avoid) Koh Kradan around Valentine’s Day for its annual Underwater Wedding Ceremony, when couples from around the world swim up the aisle together. To participate, you and your partner must be certified divers.

Koh Mai Phai Located between Krabi coast and the Phi Phi islands and also—misleadingly—known as Bamboo Island (the main flora here are Casuarinas trees), this tiny, heart-shaped island is home to a quiet and beautiful beach that gives off desert-island feels. Snorkel in the reef with hawksbill sea turtles, lionfish, and leopard sharks, and then head back to the bar shack on the north side for some nibbles and a cold beer. - Erin Gifford/fodors.com – You can follow BangkokJack on Instagram, Twitter & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article